Weather

The best period of time to travel by motorbike in northern Vietnam is in May and June, because in that period, the weather is in transition from spring to summer, therefore is not too hot with clear blue skies and the occasional drizzle of rain, there are not many days of light rain and the most important thing is that the vegetation is again green and beautiful after a cold humid winter. You also have the opportunity to see the beauty of the scenery for golden grain in the rice fields. Also, in September and October I recommend traveling by motorbike in northern Vietnam, because the weather changed to autumn already, not hot and not rainy, and the sky is blue after all the heavy rain during the summer, so it’s a very good opportunity to take pictures and to see terraced rice fields were ripening yellow on the hill and wait for harvest.

Road rules

Driving in Vietnam is a unique experience, especially to those that are used to driving in western countries. Expect roads extremely busy, such as the A1 highway that runs from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. To make things easier and your commuting safer, there is a largely applied system that you should be aware of.

To begin with, you should avoid the A1 at all costs. Only the section that takes you from Hue to Da Nang is recommended as it will lead you through the infamous Hai Van Pass. Admittedly, driving in the city will be a challenge at first, but once you get down to driving, it will actually become very fun indeed!

Vietnam is the country where the sound of the horn is heard ridiculously often. It is the way locals are shouting to one another to pull over for a number of reasons. So, get ready to use it like never before as you will meet many drivers that change lines without even looking first. That aside, it is incredibly stressful to see children roadways that don't mind darting out into the road without even looking before. Therefore, if anyone seems like they are going to do something like that, make sure they get their warning. Go hard on the horn to make your presence known.

Never expect that other vehicles will move out of the way for you, even if they know you are there. There is an unwritten road law in Vietnam according to which the larger vehicle always has the right of way. This means that if you see a bus passing a truck and heading towards you in the opposite lane, leaning on its horn, you should move aside else it WILL crush on you and you will be talking to the pavement. This is why you will see everybody else driving smaller vehicles pulling onto the shoulder. Also, larger vehicles are very likely to take the lane so stay alert, keep your head up, and your eyes open when driving on busy roadways.

When it comes to traffic lights, Vietnamese drivers generally adhere to the universally applied rules. This means that they will obey red lights when in major cities and busy intersections. However, there is a dramatic change of scenery (and road attitude) when you get into smaller towns or the countryside. A local driver will have absolutely no problem flying right through a red light if they don't identify any immediate danger. So, it is not uncommon to see vehicles running lights at intersections. And, if it is a quiet one, it is probably OK. But, it is a totally wrong (and dangerous) idea to disrespect traffic safety rules in the big cities. Just wait for the green light and go ahead.

Finally, you will come across locals that don't use their turn signals. In this case, if you see a hand waving or pointing into a particular direction, be prepared as they are about to turn! All in all, it is strongly advised you don't forget your western driver training, regardless of the traffic behaviors you will see here.

Learning to drive tips and Motorbike lessons in Vietnam

  Motorbike lessons in Vietnam How to ride a Semi automatic Vietnam is one of the countries that are best commuted by motorbike. Actually, the first thing a first-time visitor always notices is the overwhelming number of scooters on the roads and the long lineups behind a red light! To give you an idea, back home you see a few scooters a day (if the weather permits), in Vietnam there are millions on the road all year round, as this is the main affordable method of transport. So, if you want to live here, you have two options: (1) walk/take taxes/bum rides and be inconvenienced or (2) go with the flow and ride a scooter. Now, if you are worried about how to ride one, you should know that it is not that much different from riding a bicycle and you can always have motorbike lessons in Vietnam and get the hang of it without spending a fortune. What are the essentials when trying to learn how to ride a scooter? 1. Learn how to ride a BICYCLE in the Vietnamese traffic – Familiarising yourself with the traffic is important. As a pedestrian, things are easy. You just make sure you always walk outside (or across) the traffic flow. As a cyclist, though, you will have to learn how to manoeuvre the bicycle in and out of the flow, identify when the motorist in front of you is going to turn (you won't see much of a turn signal-instead, Vietnamese drivers slightly tilt their heads to the side), and how you can make your way on the road, where car drivers treat everyone else as second-class citizen. 2. Find a bike & Place to practice – It's best to start with a automatic scooter because scooters are lighter and slimmer (hence easier to handle) than manual motorbikes. Once you get the hang of a automatic you can move on to a Semi automatic, and finally a manual. So, having a friend that can take you someplace convenient to learn how to ride your bike is a must or you can join a BASIC TRAINING SCHOOL. There are plenty of empty roads, perfect for the occasion, in suburban districts. 3. Learn the Basics – This will be one of the easiest motorbike lessons in Vietnam! First, sit on the bike. On your right hand, you have the Front brake and throttle. If you are riding an automatic bike, you will have an extra hand brake on the left (Back brake). A fully automatic doesn't have any gears so it's just twist and go! On a Semi automatic you have gears, no clutch your left foot control the gears and your back brake is controlled by pressing your toes down on a lever with your right foot. To change gears with your left foot you click down using your toes and you go up a gear (you can go from Neutral to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th). If you click back using your heel or toes, you go down a gear. After learning how to drive a semi automatic, driving a manual isn't that much more difficult. Hold in the clutch and press down once with your left toe to put the bike into first gear. Hold in the clutch and click the gear up with your toe to put the bike into second gear, and so on up to the 5 or 6 gear. To put the bike into Neutral just, Downshift all the way to first gear, then a light click up will get you into neutral. Neutral is between 1st and 2nd gear. Here are the laws that you should abide by when riding a motorbike in Vietnam: 1. You must have a driver's license to be eligible to ride a motorbike that is larger than 50cc (besides Honda Cubs, this applies to the majority of common bikes). 2. On the rare occasion police stop you (they usually don't stop foreigners), you will have to pay a small fine. 3. You must wear a helmet at all times, regardless of what you believe about the protection provided by wearing one. 4. Motorbike riders can occupy the rightmost lane. All other lanes are reserved for car drivers, although almost everybody in Vietnam rides a bike. It seems that the rules are made by car drivers. 5. No one will yield to you, unlike in other countries. So make your own way. 6. Look for the speed limit that applies to the type of road and vehicle you are riding. There is little signage, though. 7. You can't run a red light, although you will see the exact opposite more times than you can count. Also, you can't go the wrong way on a street or the wrong lane, despite the fact that you will see that happening all the time. 8. Always carry a raincoat. Rainy seasons in Vietnam are not to mess with.